Tuesday, August 21, 2012

Get 'Em Early

I thought this was cute...

Air Frame: A young visitor, flanked by two airmen, gives the
thumbs-up sign after donning a pilot's helmet at the B-52 heritage
exhibit at the Intrepid Sea, Air, and Space Museum pier in Manhattan
during Air Force Week in New York City, Aug. 20, 2012. (AFA staff photo by Lois O'Connor)(Click on image above to reach wallpaper larger version.)

From the Usual USAF source, of course. I was curious about the major's patch, so I googled it. Here's a larger version:

Love the patch. Nukes have such a bad rap and could be so useful! My dearly departed Father was in a unit in the AF back in the 50's and I was able to get the patch from that squadron and it was a Eagle eating a B-66 superimposed on a mushroom cloud. What an image. They don't do that anymore!!

Good stuff, love the photo. But ya know Buck, as I get older, all the troops look young. I was over at the Sub Base in Groton a couple of years back, thought they were having some kind of Sea Scout day. Nah, just a new bunch of sailors graduating from Sub School. In some ways it sucks to get old. But I guess it beats the alternative.

THAT phenomenon was one of the prime movers in my decision to retire... all those second lieutenants I was saluting looked an AWFUL lot like my kids. And then it came to pass that I wound up saluting my kids, on occasion (that occasion bein' all of us in uniform in the same place, at the same time) (Which: wasn't bad.).

The B-52 IS a helluva machine. I used to love watching them at Minot when I was down that way in the wayback. "Down" bein' relative to where I was stationed, which was up on the Saskatchewan/NoDak/Montana border.

PS: A comment on the psychology of the times: When we had 24,000 nukes and SAC was in the SERIOUS business of deterrence, such patches would have not been allowed; being seen as "unserious" and too casually flippant. Now that our nuke deterrent is approaching the size of Andora's, and we are being led by some distinctly UNSERIOUS PC people (both on the civilian AND military side)whose willingness to maintain or use the forces (a prime requisite for "deterrence") is seriously in doubt, such humerous patches are now allowed--I wonder why? Could it be that nukes are seen as ok to joke around with because no one takes the subject seriously anymore anyway? Just a thought--just one man's observation..

Could it be that nukes are seen as ok to joke around with because no one takes the subject seriously anymore anyway?

I think the AF takes 'em seriously. Hell, The next-to-last CoS and the Secretary of the AF got fired for not taking the nukes seriously, and I KNOW the combat crews are serious about 'em... mainly coz it's their asses that are on the line. Same thang for the Navy and their Boomer force -- that's a tough bid'niz.